Aims/Priorities: Grants are available to registered blind or partially sighted people in the UK for useful technology that can help them live independently. The grant will support the cost of any item that is on the RNIB list of approved equipment.
Who can apply: UK residents who are registered blind or partially sighted people and who have been refused funding from their local authority for the items they need. The grant will support the cost of any item that is on the RNIB list of approved equipment. To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a resident in the UK
- Be registered with their local authority as blind (“severely sight impaired”) or partially sighted (“sight impaired”) unless you are applying on behalf of a child who has not yet had their sight loss certified or registered
- Receive a means-tested benefit and one that is not a Tax Credit. Means-tested benefits include Income Support; Pension Credit; Housing Benefit; Council Tax support; Income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Income-related Job Seeker's Allowance; and Universal Credit.
- Have been refused funding from their local authority for the items they need
- Have savings of less than £6,000.
- Have not had a RNIB grant in the last three years.
Grant amount: The maximum grant available is £500 which can help with more than one item.
The grants can be used towards:
- Talking phones, accessible smartphones, accessible tablets and e-readers (£400 maximum)
- Big button or talking landline telephones (£100 maximum)
- Computer accessibility software (£500 maximum)
- Electronic braille displays and notetakers (£500 maximum)
- Portable and TV video magnifiers (£500 maximum)
- DAISY players and USB players (£300 maximum)
- Smart home devices and accessories (£150 maximum)
- Wearable technology including health and fitness devices (£200 maximum)
- Voice recorders and Dictaphones (£150 maximum)
- Accessible kitchen equipment including talking microwaves, talking scales and talking measuring jugs
- Talking watches and clocks (£80 maximum)
- RNIB’s Penfriend 3 labelling device plus any spare labels and talking colour detectors.
Application process: Applications must be supported by a professional who knows the applicant’s personal circumstances at home. This could be a social worker, occupational therapist, health care visitor, or a worker from another charity or local society or a representative from their housing association that is helping the individual. It cannot be from a GP, a friend, family member or carer.
Deadline: Applications can be made at any time
Contact info:tfl@rnib.org.uk